Newsflash

Voter Identification

FAQ - GENERAL INFORMATION ON VOTING IN PERSON:

Please note that the "first-time voter" requirements that were in place prior to September 17, 2012 will apply in the November 3, 2015 Municipal Election. Therefore, those voters who are required under the Help America Vote Act and/or the Pennsylvania Election Code to provide identification will be required to provide identification and, if unable to do so, must vote a provisional ballot and then come to the election office within six days after the election with a copy of the required ID for the provisional ballot to count.

APPROVED FORMS OF PHOTO IDENTIFICATION FOR "FIRST TIME VOTERS" INCLUDE:

Pennsylvania driver's license or PennDOT ID card

ID issued by any Commonwealth agency

ID issued by the U.S. Government

U.S. passport

U.S. Armed Forces ID

Student ID

Emploeye ID

If a voter does not have aphoto ID, the voter can use a non-photo identification that includes the voter's name and address.

APPROVED FORMS OF NON-PHOTO IDENTIFICATION INCLUDE:

Confirmation issued by the County Voter Registration Office

Non-photo ID issued by the Commonwealth

Non-photo ID issued by the U.S. Government

Firearm permit

Current utility bill

Current bank statement

Current paycheck

Government check

FAQ - GENERAL INFORMATION ON VOTING BY ABSENTEE BALLOT:

What are the changes to the absentee voting law and when do they go into effect?

Starting with the November 2012 General Election, Pennsylvania law now requires voters to provide proof of identification with an Application for Absentee Ballot.

Is anyone exempt?

A qualified absentee voter is not required to provide proof of identification if the voter is entitled to vote by absentee ballot under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) or by alternative ballot under the Voting Accessibility for the Elderly and Handicapped Act.

What is proof of identification for a qualified absentee voter?

For a voter who has a current and valid Pennsylvania driver's license or PennDOT photo ID card, the voter must provide the driver's license number or photo ID number on the Application for Absentee Ballot.

For a voter who does not have a Pennsylvania driver's license or PennDOT photo ID card, the voter must provide the last four digits of his or her Social Security Number on the Application for Absentee Ballot.

For a voter who has a RELIGIOUS OBJECTION to being photographed, the voter must provide the Pennsylvania valid without-photo driver's license number or PennDOT valid without-photo identification number on the Application for Absentee Ballor, OR the voter must provide a copy of these documents with the Application for Absentee Ballot.

What if a voter does not have a Pennsylvania driver's license or Social Security Number?

A voter without either must provide with his or her Application for Absentee Ballot a copy of an ID that shows a NAME, a PHOTO, and an EXPIRATION DATE that is CURRENT, unless noted otherwise such as:

Photo IDs issued by the U.S. Government or the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania including:

U.S. Passport

U.S. Military ID (active duty and retired military ID may designate an expiration date that is indefinite). Military dependents' ID must contain a current expiration date

Employee photo identification issued by Federal, Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania County, or Pennsylvania Municipal government

Photo identification issued by an accredited Pennsylvania public or private institutuion of higher learning

What does the county board of elections do with a voter's proof of identification?

A county board of elections must verify the proof of identification before counting an absentee ballot. If the board is unable to do so, the board will contact the voter so he or she will be able to provide acceptable proof of identification.

What if the voter does not include proof of identification with the Application for Absentee Ballot?

A voter who does not include proof of identification on or with the Application for Absentee Ballot will still receive an absentee ballot; however, the county board of elections will send a notice to the voter with the absentee ballot requiring the voter to provide proof of identification or the ballot will not be counted.

A voter should provide the proof of identification as soon as possible so that the county board of elections can verify the information and the ballot can be counted.

If the county board of elections has not received the proof of identification that can be verified by the sixth (6th) day after the election, the voter's absentee ballot will not be counted.

Is proof of identification information public?

Proof of identification on or provided with the Application for Absentee Ballot cannot be made public.

Provisional Ballots

New Federal and State laws provide voters with the opportunity to cast a provisional ballot under certain circumstances. County election officials will examine the provisional ballots within six (6) days after an election to determine if the individual voting that ballot was entitled to vote at the election district in the election.

Are You Eligible to Cast a Provisional Ballot?

Individuals are to be provided the opportunity to cast a provisional ballot if:

The individual appears to vote and claims to be properly registered and eligible to vote in this election district, but the individual's name does not appear on the general register and elections officials cannot determine his registration.

Regardless of whether the individual's name appears on the general register, the individual does not have an approved form of identification.

An election official asserts that the individual is not eligible to vote. In a Primary Election, this includes voters who claim to be registered for a particular political party, but the general register indicates they are registered as a member of another political party.

Individuals are required to vote by provisional ballot if:

The voter is voting as a result of a Federal or State court order

A voter is voting as a result of an order extending the time established for closing the polls by State law that is in effect ten (10) days before an election.

Within three (3) days after the election, the county board of elections will examine the provisional ballot to determine the validity of your completed provisional ballot. A district election official will provide you with information for you to determine the status of your completed provisional ballot.

Complaints

New Federal and State laws provide voters with the opportunity to file a complaint based on belief that a State or local elections official or employee has violated, is violating, or is about to violate provisions of Title III of the federal Help America Vote Act of 2002 (relating to uniform and nondiscriminatory election technology and administration requirements).

Do You Believe Election Officials Have Failed to Comply with Title III of the Help America Vote Act of 2002?

If you answered yes, then the information below will be helpful to you. Potential circumstances for filing a complaint are listed below:

An individual believes a State or local elections official or employee has violated the provisions of Title III that require a voter to provide an approved form of identification the first time he appears to vote

An individual is denied the opportunity to cast a provisional ballot

An individual believes a State or local elections official or employee has violated provisional ballot procedure

An individual believes information that is required by law to be posted in the polling place is incorrect, inaccessible or missing

An individual believes that the mail-in voter registration application form is incomplete or missing required information

For More Information, please see the Pennsylvania Department of State Notice relating to the complaint procedures under section 402(a) of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 and section 1206.2 of the Pennsylvania Election Code. Also see the Statement of Complaint-Violations of Title III of the Help America Vote Act. The Notice and Statement of Complaint are available at this polling place, the County Board of Elections, or at the Pennsylvania Department of State by calling 1-877-VOTES-PA (1-877-868-3772).